The Message: Tobit 8:5-8

One of my favorite Biblical passages, within one of my favorite Biblical books is Tobit 8:5-8.  So, when I purchased the Kindle edition of The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition this was the first passage I went to check out.  Here is is, followed by the NRSV.  And remember, the Deuterocanonicals are translated from the Nova Vulgata.   

The Message:
"Blessed are you, God of our fathers!  Blessed be your name forever and ever!  May the heavens and all your creatures bless you from age to age!  You made Adam and gave him Eve.  From both came the human race.  you said, did you not, that it was not good for man to be alone?  That he needed a helper, a look-alike?  And so you provided.  Now I take this woman, my cousin, as my lawful wedded wife, not to quiet my lust but to awaken my love.  Keep our best interests at heart.  We want to have children and grow old together."  "Amen," he said, and "Amen," she said.


NRSV:

“Blessed are you, O God of our ancestors, and blessed is your name in all generations forever. Let the heavens and the whole creation bless you forever. You made Adam, and for him you made his wife Eve as a helper and support. From the two of them the human race has sprung. You said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; let us make a helper for him like himself.’  I now am taking this kinswoman of mine, not because of lust, but with sincerity. Grant that she and I may find mercy and that we may grow old together.” And they both said, “Amen, Amen.”

The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition

The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition is now available for purchase.  You can also view some actual pages, including an intro from Eugene Peterson and Deuterocanonical translator William Griffin here.  

An interesting note from William Griffin's intro is that he did not translate from the Greek or Hebrew for the Deuterocanonicals, but rather the Nova Vulgata.  So there you go, our first translation into English from the Nova Vulgate.  How fascinating!

The paperback is available on Amazon for a little over $20, while the Kindle edition is $7.99.   I am hoping to acquire an edition in the coming weeks for review.

Now for the first time and exclusively from ACTA Publications, The Message® features the deuteroncanonical books translated by William Griffin in The Message®: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition. Including the books of Judith, Tobit, Sirach, Wisdom, Baruch, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and additions to Esther and Daniel, all translated in the same contemporary American-idiomatic paraphrased style as the other editions of The Message®. 

Eugene Peterson's The Message® is a fresh, compelling, insightful, challenging, faith-filled translation of the Bible into contemporary idiomatic American English and is first and foremost a reader's Bible. Eugene Peterson and William Griffin (translator of the deuterocanonical books) have made the Scriptures come alive again by translating them in a way that people can understand what God is trying to say to us today.

This Bible is meant to be read. The Message® is not meant to be a subsititue for your other bible translations. It is meant to sit next to them where you can pick it up and simply start reading. We hope it will send you back to your other translations with new insight and curiosity. 

For more info, head over to the ACTA Publications site or my interview with the publisher.

Gospel of Mark Comic

From Salesian Info Agency: "On the occasion of the opening of the Year of Faith, the Salesians of the Province of China published an English language edition of the Gospel of Mark in comic form, taking cues from the original version of the book in Mandarin.

The new edition, comprising two volumes, had already been completed long ago under the guidance of the Salesian, Fr Dennis Martin, who died in 2006. Assisted by a group of enthusiastic pupils, Fr Dennis had supervised the production of the new version, which reiterated previously published volumes from Vox Amica Press of Hong Kong, changing the lyrics based on the Gospel of Mark in the New American Bible.

Now, in response to the invitation of Pope Benedict XVI to renew the commitment to Christian proclamation, the Province "Maria Ausiliatrice" gave to the printers the two volumes in English. In doing so, the Chinese Salesians intend, in the first place, to offer young readers the opportunity to get to know the figure of Jesus, through the simple and compelling comics form; and secondly, to pay their last respects to the Salesian missionary life of Fr Dennis, appreciating a piece of his legacy.

The two volumes chronicle the life of Jesus with bold graphics and great fidelity to the Gospel account. Flipping through the pages is a special character: "Little Priest", who has the task of guiding the readers on their journey to understanding the Good News.

The comics are one of the most popular media among young people around the world, and this helps to make this work a useful tool to tell the story of Jesus. The new English Edition already has various famous admirers: Salesian Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun, Bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, hoped that "this book might arouse the interest of people to explore the Gospel and the Kingdom of heaven", while Fr Steve Ryan, Coordinator of Youth Pastoral and young adults of the Province of the Eastern United States, recommends this book to parents, teachers and instructors.

The book is on sale in major Catholic bookstores in Hong Kong; for those who want to buy it elsewhere or receive further information try osenquiry@vap.org.hk"

I was fortunate enough to get a copy of this two volume comic.  It is truly a beautiful book, which covers the entire Gospel of Mark.  I dabble a little bit into comics from time to time, so I am pretty comfortable reading them.  The art for this comic tends to be a bit more  in the style of Eastern manga than what you would typically see from a Western comic.  It includes a Foreword by Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun, emeritus bishop of Hong Kong, as well as an introduction to the Gospel and a Map of the Holy Land.  If you are interested in obtaining a copy for yourself or a friend, you can email osenquiry@vap.org.hk for more information.  They are very helpful in placing your order in a secure way.  It will, however, take at least five weeks for the comic to arrive from Hong Kong.  It was well worth it!

If you are looking for something in a more Western comic style, I highly recommend A Child is Born by Billy Tucci.  It is simply stunning.  Also, it is interesting to note that Billy is Catholic.  Many of the other comic/manga Bibles on the market are done by Protestant authors.  They are certainly good as well, but it is always great to support Catholic authors.   Tucci's book makes a great Christmas gift.  

Update from Reader Brian:

In case any of the Catholic Bibles Blog readers were interested in obtaining a set of the Gospel of Mark comics from Vox Amica, I just wanted to mention Kenneth and Margaret over at the Fountain of Love and Life bookstore up in Canada.  I reached out to Clare Chan in HK about purchasing a couple of sets of the comics, and she recommended that I go through FLL in Canada.  The Fountain of Love and Life bookstore was very accommodating and helpful throughout the process of ordering a set of the Gospel of Mark comic edition, and it looks like they have quite a selection of Catholic books/videos.  You can check out the bookstore athttp://bookstore.fountainofloveandlife.org/ .

Sunday Knox: Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4

Knox:
"Lord, must I ever cry out to thee, and gain hearing never? Plead against tyranny, and no deliverance be granted me? Must I nothing see but wrong and affliction; turn where I will, nothing but robbery and oppression; pleading at law everywhere, everywhere contention raising its head? Write down thy vision, the Lord said, on a tablet, so plain that it may be read with a glance;  a vision of things far distant, yet one day befall they must, no room for doubting it. Wait thou long, yet wait patiently; what must be must, and at the time appointed for it. Foul air the doubter breathes; by his faith he lives, who lives right."


NAB: 
"How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord. Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live."

Lift Jesus High Rally

If you live in the Michigan/Ohio/Indiana area I highly recommend this one day conference.  You can find out more about it here, including how to register.  It is full of great speakers, music, as well as Holy Mass and opportunities for Confession!

Catholic Diocese of Toledo & Renewal Ministries of Ann Arbor, MI are sponsors of Lift Jesus Higher.  Both are dedicated to proclaiming Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit through renewal and evangelization all over the world.

Fr. Jonathan Morris, of the Archdiocese of New York and Religion Commentator for the Fox News Network will be the keynote speaker.  Fr. Jonathan Morris will be joined by the dynamic Renewal Ministries speakers Ralph Martin, Sister Ann Shields, and Peter Herbeck.

This one-day event has it all! The day begins with praying the Rosary, participating in the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the afternoon and ends with celebrating the Holy Mass with His Excellency, The Right Reverend Bishop Leonard Blair for the Diocese of Toledo & concelebrated with many Priests & Deacons.

Please Consider Sponsoring a PIME Child

I am sure that many of you have seen on TV or other media outlets the various child sponsorship programs that are out there.  Many of them, like World Vision and Compassion International, are run by Protestant ministries.  I am grateful for the work they do in the many countries they minister.  However, I would like to let you know of a Catholic child sponsorship program that my wife and I are involved in.  It is run by the PIME Missionaries, who are Catholic religious order of priests and brothers who commit themselves to lifelong missionary service, especially to non-Christians. (PIME stands for the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions in Latin.) Founded in Italy in 1850, PIME is an International Society of Apostolic Life with about 500 members in 17 countries. PIME's priority is the proclamation of the Gospel. They are actively involved in human development and the promotion of justice and peace. Their ministries include the foundation of schools, hospitals and clinics, orphanages, and the pastoral care of newly founded Catholic communities.

One of the best ways you can help them out is by sponsoring a child through their Foster Parent Program. Foster Parents pledge $15 a month to help support a child in the missions. Yes, for just 50 cents a day, a child will be provided with many of the necessities most of us take for granted. But most importantly, that child will know that someone loves and cares for him or her. One little boy or girl will have hope. 

This sponsorship program is near and dear to both my wife and I for two reasons.  First, the PIME Missionaries headquarters in the USA is located in Detroit, where we live.  Over the years, we have come to know a number of the PIME priests and they are very humble and holy men.   Secondly, our foster child is from India and her name is Rizwana.  Although we will likely never be able to meet her, we consider her a part of our family, even if from a distance.    

As you know I have never, nor will I ever, ask for donations for this blog, but I would greatly appreciate your consideration in becoming a foster parent.  If you are not able to at this time, please pass along this program to someone who you think might be able to.  Thank you for your consideration!

"Your Bible" Series: Joshua's Good News Bible

My name is Joshua. I stumbled on Timothy's blog a few months back as I was researching a product. I have been a pretty loyal reader ever since. I'm Protestant (Southern Baptist for the most part). In the almost 20 years I have walked with Jesus, I have used many versions ranging from the colloquialism of The Living Bible to the traditional language of the KJV and RSV-2CE. Out of all these, one is really special.

I became acquainted with the Good News Bible* (GNB) 20 years ago. This occurred while on a trip to see relatives in Tennessee. While I was there, I saw a box of Bibles. I asked if I could read one during my stay. Reading it helped me see that the Bible was a special book and not just another thing to read. Before this, the only Bibles I had were the aforementioned KJV and Living Bible as well as the New International Version (NIV). After this, I started going to a Baptist church and got saved, giving my life to Christ. That Christmas, I got my own copy.

You might be asking yourself: Is there a need for the GNB when we have other versions such as the NABRE or NIV? I say yes and here’s why. It’s easy to understand. (I'm not saying it’s the easiest to understand. That title would go to the International Children's Bible. This is a Protestant translation written at a 3rd grade reading level.) This understandability helps clarify passages that can be difficult at times. On the down side, this isn’t a version suited for liturgical use or study. The second reason I like the GNB is the illustrations by Swiss artist Annie Vallotton. They are engrossing, drawing you into the text. For example, I’m reading through Ecclesiastes. At Ecclesiastes 1:14 there is a drawing that shows Solomon showing regret. This helps me to better understand what’s being said. The last reason I like the GNB is that it’s a version for everyone. It is available with the Protestant canon and in a Catholic edition. If you desire to get a copy, I would look for the 1979 edition. A 1992 revision added gender-inclusive language.

In short the GNB has been a blessing to me! I want to thank Timothy for allowing me to share my story and thoughts.

 *The Good News Bible is known as the Good News Translation (GNT) in the United States.

Thank you Joshua for sharing your story.  I am always looking for additional entries in the monthly  "Your Bible" Series, so please send an email to mccorm45(at)yahoo(dot)com if you are interested.